CN116581539A

CN116581539A - Antenna

Info

Publication number: CN116581539A
Application number: CN202310790215.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 贾振宇; 席克瑞; 林柏全; 王林志; 韩笑男; 邢一凡; 李傲文; 毛琼琴
Original assignee: Chengdu Tianma Micro Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Chengdu Tianma Micro Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-06-29
Filing date: 2023-06-29
Publication date: 2023-08-11

Abstract

The invention discloses an antenna, which belongs to the technical field of wireless communication, and comprises a first substrate, wherein the first substrate comprises a phase shifter array area and a binding area; the first substrate comprises a first substrate, a first metal layer and a first conductive layer, wherein the first metal layer comprises at least one of copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy, the first conductive layer comprises a high-resistance conductive material, the first metal layer comprises a conductive bonding pad and a phase shifter unit, and the phase shifter unit is positioned in the phase shifter array region; the first conductive layer comprises a plurality of bias voltage lines, and the conductive pad is electrically connected with the phase shifter unit through at least one bias voltage line; in the same bias voltage line in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, at least a part of the segment bias voltage line overlaps the phase shifter element, and at least a part of the segment bias voltage line overlaps the conductive pad. The invention can reduce the manufacturing cost, improve the manufacturing process efficiency and ensure the service performance of the antenna.

Description

Antenna

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and more particularly, to an antenna.

Background

With the development of mobile communication technology, mobile phones, PAD, notebook computers and the like are becoming indispensable electronic products in life, and the electronic products are updated to electronic communication products with increased antenna systems to enable the electronic communication products to have communication functions. 5G is used as a research and development focus in the global industry, wherein the 5G antenna has high carrier frequency and large bandwidth characteristics, which are main means for realizing the 5G ultra-high data transmission rate, so that the abundant bandwidth resources of the 5G frequency band provide a guarantee for the high-speed transmission rate. The various antennas have wide application prospects in the fields of satellite receiving antennas, vehicle-mounted radars, 5G base station antennas and the like. Compared with other types of antennas, microstrip antennas have a series of advantages of small size, free structural form, low profile, convenient integrated processing, low cost and the like, and are widely used.

However, the current antenna design structure is generally complex in process and high in cost, which is not beneficial to the improvement of process efficiency, and the current antenna design structure is easy to leak high-frequency signals, so that the usability of the antenna is affected.

Therefore, the antenna structure which can reduce the manufacturing cost, improve the manufacturing process efficiency and ensure the service performance of the antenna is a technical problem to be solved by the technicians in the field.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, the present invention provides an antenna to solve the problems of complex manufacturing process, high manufacturing cost, easy leakage of high frequency signals and influence on the performance of the antenna in the prior art.

The invention discloses an antenna, comprising: the first substrate comprises a phase shifter array region and a binding region; the first substrate comprises a first substrate, a first metal layer and a first conductive layer, wherein the first metal layer comprises at least one of copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy, the first conductive layer comprises a high-resistance conductive material, and the first conductive layer is positioned on one side of the first metal layer far away from the first substrate; the first metal layer comprises a plurality of conductive pads and a plurality of phase shifter units, at least part of the conductive pads are positioned in the binding area, and the phase shifter units are positioned in the phase shifter array area; the first conductive layer comprises a plurality of bias voltage lines, and the conductive pad is electrically connected with the phase shifter unit through at least one bias voltage line; in the same bias voltage line in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, at least a part of the segment bias voltage line overlaps the phase shifter element, and at least a part of the segment bias voltage line overlaps the conductive pad.

Compared with the prior art, the antenna provided by the invention has the advantages that at least the following beneficial effects are realized:

the antenna provided by the invention at least comprises a first substrate, wherein the first substrate comprises a phase shifter array area and a binding area, and the phase shifter array area is used for setting a microstrip line structure and is used for transmitting microwave signals. The binding area is used for setting a plurality of conductive bonding pads, and the conductive bonding pads are used for binding the driving chip in the binding area later so as to provide driving signals required by the antenna operation through the driving circuit when the antenna works. The first substrate comprises a first substrate, a first metal layer and a first conductive layer, the conductive bonding pad and the phase shifter unit are made of the same first metal layer, and the manufacturing material of the first metal layer comprises copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy material, so that the cost of the manufacturing material can be reduced, the same mask plate can be adopted when the phase shifter unit and the conductive bonding pad are manufactured, the use quantity of illumination (mask) is reduced, the related manufacturing cost is reduced, the manufacturing efficiency is improved, and the first metal layer of the copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy material can be made thick in the manufacturing process, so that the coupling effect of high-frequency signals in a microstrip line structure is met, and the antenna performance is ensured. The first conductive layer comprises a plurality of bias voltage lines, and the phase shifter unit of each microstrip line structure is independently controlled by at least one bias voltage line, namely, the bias voltage line is used for transmitting voltage signals provided by an external driving circuit which is subsequently bound to the binding area to the phase shifter unit of each microstrip line structure through a corresponding conductive bonding pad, so that the wireless communication function of the antenna is realized. In the invention, the two ends of the bias voltage line made of the transparent conductive material are respectively provided with overlapping areas with the phase shifter unit and the conductive pad of the microstrip line structure through a climbing process, so that the electric connection effect of the three is realized, and the electric connection stability and reliability of the three are enhanced. The bias voltage line is arranged to replace a conductive material with high resistance from a metal material in the prior art, so that the high resistance characteristic of the high resistance conductive material can be utilized, high-frequency signals leaked in the use process of the antenna can be lost in the transmission process of the bias voltage line, the leakage problem of the high-frequency signals can be further improved, the impact of the high-frequency signals on an external driving circuit such as a driving chip is reduced, and the integral use performance of the antenna is improved.

Of course, it is not necessary for any one product to practice the invention to achieve all of the technical effects described above at the same time.

Other features of the present invention and its advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the cross-sectional structure in the direction A-A' of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another cross-sectional structure in the direction A-A' of FIG. 1;

fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the cross-sectional structure in the direction B-B' in FIG. 4;

fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the cross-sectional structure in the direction C-C' of FIG. 6;

fig. 8 is a schematic plan view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the cross-sectional structure in the direction D-D' in FIG. 8;

fig. 10 is a schematic plan view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer of the J1 region of FIG. 10;

fig. 12 is a schematic view of another planar structure of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer of the J2 region of FIG. 12;

fig. 14 is a schematic plan view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first metal layer, the first insulating layer, and the first conductive layer of region J3 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of the cross-sectional structure in the direction E-E' in FIG. 14;

fig. 17 is a schematic view of another planar structure of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first metal layer, the second insulating layer, and the first conductive layer of region J4 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a schematic view showing a sectional structure in the F-F' direction in FIG. 17;

fig. 20 is a schematic plan view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer of the J5 region of FIG. 20;

fig. 22 is a schematic plan view of another antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of a portion of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer of the J6 region of FIG. 22;

fig. 24 is another enlarged partial view of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer of the region J6 of fig. 22.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the relative arrangement of the components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention unless it is specifically stated otherwise.

The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but are intended to be part of the specification where appropriate.

In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be construed as merely illustrative, and not a limitation. Thus, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims (the claims) and their equivalents. The embodiments provided by the embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other without contradiction.

It should be noted that: like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following figures, and thus once an item is defined in one figure, no further discussion thereof is necessary in subsequent figures.

Referring to fig. 1 and fig. 2 in combination, fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention (it can be understood that, for clarity of illustration of the structure of the embodiment, fig. 1 is filled with transparency), and fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of fig. 1 in A-A', where an antenna 000 according to the embodiment includes: a first substrate 10, the first substrate 10 including a shifter array region YA and a bonding region BA;

the first substrate 10 includes a first substrate 101, a first metal layer 102, and a first conductive layer 103, the first metal layer 102 including at least one of copper, a molybdenum and copper stack, a titanium and copper stack, a molybdenum copper alloy, or a titanium copper alloy, the first conductive layer 103 including a high-resistance conductive material, the first conductive layer 103 being located on a side of the first metal layer 102 remote from the first substrate 101;

the first metal layer 102 includes a plurality of conductive pads 1021 and a plurality of phase shifter units 1022, at least a portion of the conductive pads 1021 being located in the bonding area BA, the phase shifter units 1022 being located in the phase shifter array area YA;

The first conductive layer 103 includes a plurality of bias voltage lines 1031, and the conductive pad 1021 is electrically connected to the phase shifter unit 1022 through at least one bias voltage line 1031;

in the direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, at least a part of the bias voltage lines overlap the phase shifter unit 1022 in the same bias voltage line 1031, and at least a part of the bias voltage lines overlap the conductive pad 1021.

Specifically, the antenna 000 provided in this embodiment includes at least the first substrate 10, and the antenna 000 in this embodiment may be a microstrip antenna, or the antenna 000 in this embodiment may be a liquid crystal antenna. It will be appreciated that the antenna 000 is illustrated as a microstrip antenna in the drawings of the present embodiment. The first substrate 10 includes a shifter array region YA for setting a microstrip line structure and a bonding region BA for setting a plurality of conductive pads 1021, i.e., the antenna 000 includes at least the shifter array region YA and the bonding region BA. The first substrate 10 of the present embodiment includes a first substrate 101, a first metal layer 102, and a first conductive layer 103. The first substrate 101 (not filled in the figure) may be any hard material of glass or ceramic, or may also be any flexible material of polyimide or silicon nitride, which does not absorb microwave signals, i.e. has small insertion loss in the microwave frequency band, so that signal insertion loss is reduced, and loss of microwave signals in the transmission process can be greatly reduced.

The present embodiment provides that the first metal layer 102 includes a plurality of conductive pads 1021 and a plurality of phase shifter units 1022, at least a portion of the conductive pads 1021 being located in the bonding area BA, and the phase shifter units 1022 being located in the phase shifter array area YA. It will be understood that, for clarity of illustrating the structure of the present embodiment, fig. 1 illustrates only the phase shifter units 1022 and a partial number of the conductive pads 1021 in the 4 microstrip line structure on the first substrate 101, but the number of the conductive pads 1021 and the phase shifter units 1022 may be arrayed according to actual requirements in a specific implementation. The phase shifter unit 1022 is located in the phase shifter array region YA, the phase shifter unit 1022 may be a microstrip line structure, and the phase shifter unit 1022 may have a serpentine shape (as shown in fig. 1) or a spiral shape (not shown) or other structures, which is not limited in this embodiment. The phase shifter unit 1022 is a microstrip line structure for coupling microwave signals. The conductive pad 1021 is located at the bonding area BA, and the conductive pad 1021 is used to bond the driving chip at the bonding area BA later to provide driving signals required for the operation of the antenna 000 through the driving circuit when the antenna 000 is operated. In this embodiment, the conductive pads 1021 and the phase shifter unit 1022 are made of the same first metal layer 102, so that the number of illumination (masks) can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Since the microstrip line structure of the phase shifter unit 1022 is made of metal material, the thickness of the first metal layer 102 is related to the frequency of use of the antenna, and when the high-frequency signal is transmitted in the metal, a skin effect occurs (the skin effect increases the effective resistance of the conductor, the higher the frequency is, the more remarkable the skin effect is, when the current with high frequency passes through the microstrip line structure, the current can be considered to flow only in a very thin layer on the surface of the microstrip line structure, which is equivalent to the reduction of the section of the microstrip line structure and the increase of the resistance), and the thickness of the first metal layer 102 is generally required to be 3-6 times the skin depth, which makes the thickness of the first metal layer 102 for making the phase shifter unit 1022 very thick to meet the related design requirement, otherwise, the insertion loss of the electromagnetic signal can be greatly increased. Thus, the material of the first metal layer 102 of the present embodiment is configured to include at least one of copper, a molybdenum and copper laminate, titanium and copper laminate, molybdenum-copper alloy, or titanium-copper alloy, it is understood that when the material of the first metal layer 102 is configured to include a molybdenum and copper laminate, the first metal layer 102 may be a laminate structure of a molybdenum material and a copper material; when the material of the first metal layer 102 is provided to include a titanium and copper laminate, the first metal layer 102 may have a laminate structure of a titanium material and a copper material. Because the resistivity of the metal copper material is low and the price is low, the structure of the first metal layer 102 is made of at least one of copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy, which is not only beneficial to saving cost, but also the first metal layer 102 of the copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy material can be made thick in the process, i.e. the thickness of the microstrip line structure phase shifter unit 1022 made of the first metal layer 102 can be thicker, so as to meet the coupling effect of the high-frequency signal in the microstrip line structure.

It is understood that the thickness of the copper metal material is relatively mature when the first metal layer 102 is made of any one of copper, molybdenum and copper laminate, titanium and copper laminate, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy material. The thickness forming process is not particularly limited, and optionally, a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition ) process may be used to form a seed layer of copper metal, and then the first metal layer may be formed to be thick by an electroplating process, or other processes for forming thick copper metal may be used.

The conductive pad 1021 in this embodiment needs to be electrically connected with the phase shifter unit 1022 through at least one bias voltage line to transmit a bias voltage signal supplied from a driving chip subsequently tied at the position of the conductive pad 1021 to the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure through the bias voltage line to supply a driving signal.

However, the present inventors have studied and found that, if the first metal layer 102 is also used for the bias voltage line in order to improve the process efficiency, and in order to ensure the coupling effect of the high-frequency signal in the microstrip line structure, it is very difficult to manufacture the bias voltage line by using the first metal layer 102 having such a thickness when the thickness of the first metal layer 102 of the phase shifter unit 1022 in which the microstrip line structure is formed is made thick, for example, to 2um to 3 um. Because the thickness of the first metal layer 102 increases gradually the difficulty of the etching process, the difficulty of controlling the line width and line spacing precision increases gradually, and the minimum line width and line spacing process has limited capability. According to the research gathered by the inventors of the present application, it was found that if the bias voltage line is fabricated with such a thick first metal layer 102, the minimum line spacing would reach 8-10 microns. Particularly for a large-scale antenna array, the arrangement design of signal lines is very difficult, the specification of the minimum line width and line spacing between the signal lines is easy to limit, the design of the large-scale array is very unfavorable, and the wiring space is very limited. And at least one of copper, molybdenum-copper alloy or titanium-copper alloy is adopted to manufacture bias voltage lines, and because the metal materials are used as carriers of high-frequency signals in the antenna structure, the high-frequency signals can easily leak through the signal lines of the metal materials, so that the external driving circuit of the antenna is influenced, and the performance of the antenna is influenced.

Although there are also phase shifter units in the prior art in which the copper layer to be used for manufacturing the bias voltage line is thinned and then etched to form the bias voltage line after the microstrip line structure is completed, it is extremely difficult and expensive to manufacture the thickness of different regions of the metal layer by a special process. Therefore, the current common method for saving cost in the field is to manufacture the patterns of the same-layer metal structure by adopting the metal with the same thickness, so that the manufacturing is difficult, the wiring precision of the signal wire cannot be effectively controlled, the leakage of the high-frequency signal is easy to cause, and the use effect of the antenna is affected.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present embodiment provides that the first conductive layer 103 includes a plurality of bias voltage lines 1031, and the conductive pad 1021 is electrically connected to the phase shifter unit 1022 through at least one bias voltage line 1031, i.e., the first conductive layer 103 that makes up the bias voltage line 1031 includes a high-resistance conductive material. Alternatively, the material of the first conductive layer 103 may be any one of Indium Tin Oxide or metallic chromium, such as an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) material with high resistance, an IZO (Indium zinc Oxide ) material, an AZO (zinc aluminum Oxide, aluminum Zinc Oxide) material, or an IGO (Indium gallium Oxide ) material, or a high resistance conductive material, such as metallic chromium with high resistance, which is not limited in this embodiment.

The phase shifter unit 1022, the conductive pad 1021, and the bias voltage line 1031 provided with the microstrip line structure in the first substrate 10 are made of non-homogeneous conductive materials, wherein the bias voltage line 1031 is replaced by a conductive material with high resistance from a metal material in the prior art, and since the high resistance conductive material has the high resistance, a high-frequency signal leaked in the use process of the antenna can be lost in the transmission process of the bias voltage line 1031, so that the leakage problem of the high-frequency signal can be improved, the impact of the high-frequency signal on an external driving circuit such as a driving chip is reduced, and the overall use performance of the antenna 000 is improved.

And if the material of the first conductive layer 103 adopts transparent conductive metal oxide materials such as indium tin oxide, the method can utilize the characteristic that the process capability of the transparent conductive material is relatively strong (the patterning process of the transparent conductive material is relatively mature in the current array process, the related yield and the process parameters are very mature, and the minimum line distance can be controlled to 3-5 micrometers), so that the wiring of a large-scale array in the antenna 000 structure is easier, compared with the method that the minimum line distance of the bias voltage line 1031 is 8-10 micrometers when the thick copper metal layer is adopted to manufacture the bias voltage line 1031, the distance between the bias voltage lines 1031 can be greatly reduced, the wiring difficulty of the bias voltage line 1031 can be further effectively reduced, the accuracy of the line width and the line distance of the bias voltage line 1031 can be also relatively well controlled, the purposes of reducing the wiring design difficulty can be effectively achieved while the manufacturing accuracy is ensured, the designability of the array structure in the antenna 000 is improved, and the manufacturing process efficiency is facilitated.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first conductive layer 103 is disposed on a side of the first metal layer 102 away from the first substrate 101, and in the direction Z perpendicular to the plane on which the first substrate 101 is disposed, at least a part of the bias voltage line in the same bias voltage line 1031 overlaps the phase shifter unit 1022, and at least a part of the bias voltage line overlaps the conductive pad 1021, so that the first metal layer 102 is covered at least partially by the first conductive layer 103, which is beneficial to protecting materials such as copper metal, and avoiding that part of the structure of the first metal layer 102 is corroded by water and oxygen, and affecting the product yield. The first conductive layer 103 of the first substrate 10 includes a plurality of bias voltage lines 1031, the conductive pads 1021 are electrically connected with the phase shifter units 1022 through at least one bias voltage line 1031, and the phase shifter units 1022 of each microstrip line structure are independently controlled through the at least one bias voltage line 1031, i.e., the bias voltage line 1031 is used to transmit a voltage signal provided by an external driving circuit subsequently bonded to the bonding area BA to the phase shifter units 1022 of each microstrip line structure through the corresponding conductive pad 1021, thereby realizing a wireless communication function of the antenna 000. In this embodiment, the bias voltage lines 1031 are further disposed in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, at least a portion of the bias voltage lines overlap the phase shifter unit 1022, and at least a portion of the bias voltage lines overlap the conductive pads 1021, so that two ends of the bias voltage lines 1031 made of transparent conductive materials have overlapping areas with the phase shifter unit 1022 and the conductive pads 1021 of the microstrip line structure through a climbing process, thereby realizing an electrical connection effect of the three, and being beneficial to enhancing electrical connection stability and reliability of the three.

In the antenna structure provided in this embodiment, the phase shifter unit 1022 and the conductive pad 1021 are manufactured by using the same first metal layer 102, and the manufacturing materials of the first metal layer 102 include copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum-copper alloy or titanium-copper alloy material, so that not only can the cost of manufacturing the material itself be reduced, but also the same mask plate can be used when manufacturing the phase shifter unit 1022 and the conductive pad 1021, which is beneficial to reducing the use quantity of illumination (mask), reducing the related manufacturing cost and improving the manufacturing efficiency; the first metal layer 102 of copper, molybdenum and copper laminate, titanium and copper laminate, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy material can be made thick in the process to satisfy the coupling effect of high-frequency signals in the microstrip line structure and ensure the antenna performance. The bias voltage line 1031 is arranged to replace a conductive material with high resistance from a metal material in the prior art, so that the high resistance characteristic of the high resistance conductive material can be utilized, and a high-frequency signal leaked in the use process of the antenna can be lost in the transmission process of the bias voltage line 1031, so that the leakage problem of the high-frequency signal can be improved, the impact of the high-frequency signal on an external driving circuit such as a driving chip is reduced, and the integral use performance of the antenna 000 is improved.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the structure of the antenna 000 is only illustrated, and in the implementation, the structure of the antenna 000 includes but is not limited to this, and may also include other structures, for example, when the antenna 000 is a liquid crystal antenna, the structure of the liquid crystal antenna in the related art may be referred to for understanding, and the description of this embodiment is omitted here. The present embodiment is merely for illustrating the structure that the first metal layer 102 and the first conductive layer 103 can be provided, including but not limited to the above structure and the working principle, and the present embodiment is not repeated herein.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, the thickness D1 of the first metal layer 102 is 0.5um to 5um in the direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101.

The present embodiment illustrates that the thickness D1 of the first metal layer 102 in the direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101 may be made thicker, for example, between 0.5um and 5um, and further alternatively, the thickness D1 of the first metal layer 102 in the direction Z perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101 may be 2um to 3um. Since the thickness of the microstrip line structure is related to the frequency of use of the antenna, a skin effect phenomenon (the skin effect increases the effective resistance of the conductor, the higher the frequency, the more remarkable the skin effect), when the current with high frequency passes through the microstrip line structure, the current can be considered to flow only in a layer on the surface of the microstrip line structure, which is equivalent to the reduction of the section of the microstrip line structure and the increase of the resistance), when the high-frequency signal is transmitted in the microstrip line structure, the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure needs to be made thicker in actual manufacturing to meet the transmission of the high-frequency signal in the microstrip line structure. The thickness D1 of the first metal layer 102 is set to be 0.5um-5um, which can reach 3-6 times of the skin depth (skin depth refers to the thickness of most charges when the charges propagate in the conductor), so that the insertion loss of electromagnetic signals can be greatly reduced, and the performance of the antenna 000 can be improved.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 1 and 3, fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional structure in the A-A' direction in fig. 1, in this embodiment, the edges of the conductive pad 1021 and the phase shifter unit 1022 of the first metal layer 102 include the slope angle α (Tape angle) of the inclined plane, when the patterned conductive pad 1021 and the phase shifter unit 1022 are generally formed by an etching process, the slope angle α of the patterned structure may be generally formed in the process, and the slope angle α may be generally about 60 ° may be designed, and two ends of the bias voltage line 1031 made of the transparent conductive material have overlapping regions with the phase shifter unit 1022 and the conductive pad 1021 of the microstrip line structure through a climbing process, so as to ensure electrical connection stability, and meanwhile, avoid a disconnection problem when the bias voltage line 1031 climbs, which is beneficial to improving the process yield.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 4 and fig. 5 in combination, fig. 4 is another schematic plan view of the antenna according to the embodiment of the present invention (it is understood that, for clarity of illustration of the structure of the embodiment, fig. 4 is filled with transparency), fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the antenna in the direction B-B' in fig. 4, in this embodiment, the antenna 000 further includes a second substrate 20, the first substrate 10 is disposed opposite to the second substrate 20, and a liquid crystal layer 30 is included between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20;

The second substrate 20 comprises a second substrate 201 (not filled in the figure) and a second metal layer 202, the second metal layer 202 being located on the side of the second substrate 201 facing the first substrate 10, the second metal layer 202 comprising a ground structure 2021.

The embodiment explains that the antenna 000 can be a liquid crystal antenna, and the liquid crystal antenna is a novel array antenna which is made based on a liquid crystal phase shifter and is widely applied to the fields of satellite receiving antennas, vehicle-mounted radars, base station antennas and the like. The antenna 000 further includes a second substrate 20 opposite to the first substrate 10, the liquid crystal layer 30 is included between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, the second substrate 20 includes a second substrate 201 and a second metal layer 202, the second substrate 201 and the first substrate 101 may be made of the same material, the second metal layer 202 and the first metal layer 102 may be made of the same material, the second metal layer 202 is located on a side of the second substrate 201 facing the first substrate 10, and the second metal layer 202 includes a ground structure 2021. The phase shifter unit 1022 may be a phase shifter structure of a microstrip line structure, the phase shifter is a core component of a liquid crystal antenna, and an electric field is formed between the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure and the grounding structure 2021 to control the deflection of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 30, so as to control the equivalent dielectric constant of liquid crystal and further realize the adjustment of the phase of electromagnetic waves. The liquid crystal antenna has wide application prospect in the fields of satellite receiving antennas, vehicle-mounted radars, 5G base station antennas and the like.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 4 and fig. 5, the orthographic projection of the second substrate 201 on the first substrate 101 does not overlap with the bonding area BA, that is, the area of the second substrate 201 may be smaller than that of the first substrate 101, so that at least a part of the conductive pad 1021 of the bonding area BA is exposed, so as to facilitate subsequent bonding of the driving chip and other structures in the bonding area BA.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 4 and fig. 5, in the antenna 000 of the present embodiment, the ground structure 2021 of the second metal layer 202 includes a plurality of first radiation holes 2021K1 and a plurality of second radiation holes 2021K2, the side of the second substrate 201 away from the liquid crystal layer 30 further includes a third metal layer 203, the third metal layer 203 includes a plurality of radiation patches 2031 and a power division network structure 2032, the front projection of the radiation patches 2031 on the plane of the second substrate 201 and the front projection of the first radiation holes 2021K1 on the plane of the second substrate 201 overlap each other, the power division network structure 2032 includes a plurality of output ends 20321, and the front projection of the output ends 20321 on the plane of the second substrate 201 and the front projection of the second radiation holes 2021K2 on the plane of the second substrate 201 overlap each other. Further alternatively, the orthographic projection of the second radiation hole 2021K2 on the plane of the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the phase shifter unit 1022 on the plane of the first substrate 101.

The present embodiment illustrates that the antenna 000 further includes a third metal layer 203, and the third metal layer 203 may be used to provide a plurality of power division network structures 2032 and radiation patches 2031 with block structures, where the orthographic projection of the radiation patches 2031 on the plane of the second substrate 201 and the orthographic projection of the first radiation holes 2021K1 of the ground structure 2021 on the plane of the second substrate 201 overlap with each other. The power division network structure 2032 may include a plurality of branch structures and output terminals, and the microwave signal is generally fed into the power division network structure 2032 through a signal feed rod (not shown in the drawing), and is transmitted to the output terminal 20321 thereof through each branch structure of the power division network structure 2032, and the output terminal 20321 corresponds to the plurality of second radiation holes 2021K2 included in the ground structure 2021, so that the microwave signal is coupled to each phase shifter unit 1022 through the liquid crystal layer 30 through the second radiation holes 2021K 2. The radiation patch 2031 is configured to couple the phase-shifted microwave signal to the radiation patch 2031 through the first radiation hole 2021K1 of the ground structure 2021 after the phase shift of the microwave signal is completed, and radiate the microwave signal of the antenna 000 through the radiation patch 2031. When the antenna 000 of the embodiment works, a circuit structure such as a driving chip which is subsequently bound in the binding area BA is adopted, a bias voltage signal is applied to the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure through the bias voltage line 1031, a deflection electric field is formed between the first metal layer 102 and the second metal layer 202 of the antenna, and liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 between the two metal layers are deflected; the degree of deflection of the liquid crystal molecules is different along with the difference of the applied voltages, so that the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 30 between the first metal layer 102 and the second metal layer 202 can be controllably adjusted; the wavelength of the high-frequency electric field conducted in the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure is related to the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal, which makes it possible to achieve adjustment of the phase of the outlet by adjusting the degree of deflection of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 30 in the case where the phase of the radio frequency signal at the inlet of the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure is fixed. The adjustment of the radiation beam direction can be achieved by the adjustment of the phase difference between the phase shifter units 1022 of different microstrip line structures within the phase shifter array region YA; after the phase shift of the microwave signal is completed, the phase-shifted microwave signal is coupled to the radiation patch 2031 through the first radiation hole 2021K1 of the ground structure 2021, and the microwave signal of the antenna 000 is radiated through the radiation patch 2031. The phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure, the first radiation hole 2021K1 of the ground structure 2021 above the phase shifter unit 1022, the second radiation hole 2021K2, and the radiation patch 2031 and the power division network structure 2032 of the third metal layer 203 cooperate to form one radiation unit, and the radiation unit array formed by the plurality of phase shifter units 1022, the radiation hole 2021K, and the radiation patch 2031 forms an array structure of the entire antenna.

Optionally, the shape of the phase shifter unit 1022 in the present embodiment may be a serpentine or spiral microstrip line structure, and the serpentine or spiral phase shifter unit 1022 can increase the facing area of the phase shifter unit 1022 and the ground structure 2021, so as to ensure that as many liquid crystal molecules as possible in the liquid crystal layer 30 are in the electric field formed by the phase shifter unit 1022 and the ground structure 2021, and improve the inversion efficiency of the liquid crystal molecules. The shape and distribution of the phase shifter unit 1022 are not limited in this embodiment, and it is only necessary to realize transmission of a microwave signal.

It should be understood that the present embodiment is merely illustrative of the structure that may be included when the antenna 000 is a liquid crystal antenna, but is not limited thereto, and may include other structures, such as an alignment layer (not illustrated) between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, a sealant 40 between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, etc., and the present embodiment is not repeated herein, and may be specifically understood with reference to the structure of the liquid crystal antenna in the related art. The present embodiment is merely illustrative of the structure that the first metal layer 102, the first conductive layer 103, the second metal layer 202, and the third metal layer 203 can be provided, including but not limited to the above structure and the working principle, and the present embodiment is not repeated herein when the present embodiment is implemented according to the required functions of the liquid crystal antenna.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are fixed by a frame sealant 40, the frame sealant 40 is disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, and the frame sealant 40 is disposed around the liquid crystal layer 30; the orthographic projection of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101 is not overlapped with the orthographic projection of the frame glue 40 on the first substrate 101; the conductive pad 1021 is located at a side of the frame glue 40 away from the liquid crystal layer 30 along a direction X in which the bonding area BA points to the phase shifter array area YA. The present embodiment explains that the frame glue 40 is disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 such that the frame glue 40 is disposed around the liquid crystal layer 30, forming the antenna 000 of the sealed liquid crystal cell structure, avoiding the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 30 from leaking out. In this embodiment, the orthographic projection of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101 and the orthographic projection of the sealant 40 on the first substrate 101 are not overlapped, so that the influence of the pressure of the sealant 40 on the conductive pad 1021 in the bonding area BA can be avoided, and the conductivity yield of the conductive pad 1021 is further ensured.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 6 and fig. 7 in combination, fig. 6 is another schematic plan view of the antenna according to the embodiment of the present invention (it is understood that, for clarity of illustration of the structure of the embodiment, fig. 6 is filled with transparency), fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the direction C-C' in fig. 6, in this embodiment, the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are fixed by a sealant 40, the sealant 40 is disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, and the sealant 40 is disposed around the liquid crystal layer 30;

The orthographic projection of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the frame glue 40 on the first substrate 101.

The present embodiment explains that the frame glue 40 is disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 such that the frame glue 40 is disposed around the liquid crystal layer 30, forming the antenna 000 of the sealed liquid crystal cell structure, avoiding the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 30 from leaking out. In this embodiment, the front projection of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101 and the front projection of the frame glue 40 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlap, that is, at least part of the conductive pad 201 approaches to the direction of the phase shifter array region YA and extends to the periphery of the binding region BA, and by extending the length of the conductive pad 1021 in the direction X of the binding region BA pointing to the phase shifter array region YA, the contact area between the bias voltage line 1031 of the first conductive layer 103 and the conductive pad 1021 of the first metal layer 102 can be increased, the influence of the combined unreliable region on the overall electrical connection performance can be reduced, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the overall bias voltage line 1031 and the conductive pad 1021 can be improved. And because the metal material of the conductive pad 1021 in the binding area BA is softer, the ACF (anisotropic conductive film ) adhesive used in the subsequent binding process with the driving chip or the flexible circuit board is easy to press the surface first conductive layer 103 out of the crack problem (the climbing area of the bias voltage line 1031 and the conductive pad 1021 may be affected), so by prolonging the length of the conductive pad 1021 in the direction X of the binding area BA pointing to the phase shifter array area YA, at least a part of the area in the prolonged conductive pad 1021 may be free from the pressure influence of the subsequent binding driving chip or the flexible circuit board, even if the partial segmented bias voltage line 1031 in the binding area BA is affected by the pressure of the ACF adhesive to generate the crack, at least the conductive pad 1021 in the extension section outside the binding area BA is electrically connected with the bias voltage line 1031, which is favorable for reducing the influence of the binding pressure on the crack of the transparent conductive material, further reducing the influence on the electric connection of at least partial segmented bias voltage line and the conductive pad 1021, and further favorable for further improving the reliability of the electric connection of the bias voltage line 1031 at one end of the bias voltage line 1031.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 8 and fig. 9 in combination, fig. 8 is another schematic plan view of the antenna according to the embodiment of the present invention (it is to be understood that, for clarity of illustration of the structure of the embodiment, fig. 8 is filled with transparency), and fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of fig. 8 along direction D-D', in which the front projection of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlaps the front projection of the liquid crystal layer 30 on the first substrate 101.

In this embodiment, the front projection of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101 and the front projection of the liquid crystal layer 30 on the first substrate 101 at least partially overlap, that is, at least part of the conductive pad 201 approaches to the direction of the phase shifter array region YA and further extends to the region where the liquid crystal layer 30 on the periphery of the bonding region BA is located, and by further extending the length of the conductive pad 1021 in the direction X of the bonding region BA toward the phase shifter array region YA, the contact area between the bias voltage line 1031 of the first conductive layer 103 and the conductive pad 1021 of the first metal layer 102 can be further increased, the influence of the combined unreliable region on the overall electrical connection performance is reduced, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the overall bias voltage line 1031 and the conductive pad 1021 is improved. And by further extending the length of the conductive pad 1021 in the direction X of the binding area BA pointing to the phase shifter array area YA, the conductive pad 1021 is extended to the area where the liquid crystal layer 30 is located, so that at least more part of the extended conductive pad 1021 can be free from the pressure influence caused by the subsequent binding of the driving chip or the flexible circuit board, even if the partial segmented bias voltage line 1031 in the binding area BA is cracked due to the pressure influence of the ACF glue during binding, at least the conductive pad 1021 of the extension area outside the binding area BA and the extension area where the liquid crystal layer 30 is located can be better combined with the bias voltage line 1031 electrically, thereby being beneficial to effectively reducing the influence degree of the binding pressure on the cracking of the transparent conductive material, further reducing the influence on the electric connection of at least partial segmented bias voltage line with the conductive pad 1021, and being beneficial to better improving the reliability of the electric connection of the bias voltage line 1031 during climbing at one end of the conductive pad 1021.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 10 and 11 in combination, fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of another planar structure of the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present invention, fig. 11 is a partially enlarged view of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer in the region J1 in fig. 10 (it can be understood that, for clarity of illustrating the structure of the embodiment, fig. 10 and 11 are filled with transparency), in this embodiment, the same bias voltage line 1031 includes a first sub-segment 1031A and a second sub-segment 1031B, where the first sub-segment 1031A and the second sub-segment 1031B are located at two ends of the bias voltage line 1031, respectively; it can be appreciated that in the same bias voltage line 1031 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, the first sub-segment 1031A overlaps the conductive pad 1021, and the second sub-segment 1031B overlaps the phase shifter unit 1022;

the first sub-segment 1031A covers the conductive pad 1021 in a direction perpendicular to the plane in which the first substrate 101 is located;

the orthographic projection area of the first sub-segment 1031A on the first substrate 101 is larger than the orthographic projection area of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101.

The present embodiment illustrates that the same bias voltage line 1031 includes a first sub-section 1031A and a second sub-section 1031B, the first sub-section 1031A may be understood as a partial section overlapping with the conductive pad 1021, and the second sub-section 1031B may be understood as a partial section overlapping with the phase shifter unit 1022, that is, the first sub-section 1031A and the second sub-section 1031B are respectively located at two ends of the same bias voltage line 1031, so that the conductive pad 1021 is electrically connected with the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure through at least one bias voltage line 1031. In this embodiment, the first sub-section 1031A is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101 and covers the conductive pad 1021, and by setting the orthographic projection area of the first sub-section 1031A on the first substrate 101 to be larger than the orthographic projection area of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101, the first sub-section 1031A of the first conductive layer 103 covers the conductive pad 1021 in a partial area of the first metal layer 102, so that the area of the first sub-section 1031A when the first sub-section 1031A is electrically connected with the conductive pad 1021 in a climbing manner can be increased, which is beneficial to more effectively enhancing the reliability of electrical connection.

Optionally, please continue to refer to fig. 10 and 11 in combination, in the present embodiment, the minimum distance D2 from the edge of the first sub-segment 1031A of the bias voltage line 1031 to the edge of the conductive pad 1021 is 2-20um.

The present embodiment explains that when the orthographic projection area of the first sub-section 1031A on the first substrate 101 is set to be larger than the orthographic projection area of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101 such that the first sub-section 1031A covers the conductive pad 1021, the minimum distance D2 from the edge of the first sub-section 1031A of the bias voltage line 1031 to the edge of the conductive pad 1021 can be set to 2-20 μm, wherein the minimum distance D2 from the edge of the first sub-section 1031A to the edge of the conductive pad 1021 can be understood as the distance between the conductive pad 1021 overlapping each other and the edge 1021Y of the nearest conductive pad 1021 in the first sub-section 1031A along the arrangement direction Y of the plurality of conductive pads 1021 in the drawing. Since the driving chip or the flexible circuit board is subsequently bonded in the bonding area BA, it is necessary to ensure that the distance between two adjacent conductive pads 1021 along the arrangement direction Y of the plurality of conductive pads 1021 is greater than 40um, so as to avoid the short circuit problem caused by too close distance between the adjacent conductive pads 1021. Therefore, when the orthographic projection area of the first sub-segment 1031A on the first substrate 101 is larger than the orthographic projection area of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101, so that the first sub-segment 1031A covers the conductive pad 1021, thereby protecting the whole conductive pad 1021, avoiding damage caused by the corrosion of the conductive pad 1021 by water and oxygen, and simultaneously setting the minimum distance D2 from the edge of the first sub-segment 1031A of the bias voltage line 1031 to the edge of the conductive pad 1021 to be 2-20um, that is, the edge of the first sub-segment 1031A exceeds the edge 2-20um of the nearest conductive pad 1021, so as to ensure that the shortest distance between two adjacent conductive pads 1021 is larger than 40um, avoiding signal interference caused by too short circuit risk due to too short distance between the first sub-segments 1031A corresponding to the two adjacent conductive pads 1021.

It will be appreciated that, to further increase the area of the first sub-segment 1031A when the first sub-segment 1031A is electrically connected to the conductive pad 1021 in a climbing manner, the first sub-segment 1031A may have a portion extending beyond both ends of the conductive pad 1021 along the direction X in which the binding area BA points to the phase shifter array area YA, as shown in fig. 11, i.e., the first sub-segment 1031A extends beyond the edge of the conductive pad 1021 around the conductive pad 1021, which is beneficial for further enhancing the reliability of the electrical connection.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 12 and fig. 13 in combination, fig. 12 is a schematic view of another plane structure of the antenna provided by the embodiment of the present invention, fig. 13 is a partially enlarged view of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer in the J2 area in fig. 12 (it is understood that, for clarity of illustrating the structure of the embodiment, fig. 12 and fig. 13 are filled with transparency), and in this embodiment, the phase shifter unit 1022 includes a first end 1022A; in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate 101, the second sub-section 1031B covers the first end 1022A, and the orthographic projection area of the second sub-section 1031B on the first substrate 101 is larger than the orthographic projection area of the first end 1022A on the first substrate 101.

The present embodiment illustrates that the same bias voltage line 1031 includes a first sub-section 1031A and a second sub-section 1031B, the first sub-section 1031A may be understood as a partial section overlapping with the conductive pad 1021, and the second sub-section 1031B may be understood as a partial section overlapping with the phase shifter unit 1022, that is, the first sub-section 1031A and the second sub-section 1031B are respectively located at two ends of the same bias voltage line 1031, so that the conductive pad 1021 is electrically connected with the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure through at least one bias voltage line 1031. In this embodiment, the phase shifter unit 1022 includes a first end 1022A, where the first end 1022A is an end area where the phase shifter unit 1022 overlaps with the second sub-segment 1031B, and the second sub-segment 1031B covers the first end 1022A in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the first substrate 101 is located, and by setting the orthographic projection area of the second sub-segment 1031B on the first substrate 101 to be larger than the orthographic projection area of the first end 1022A of the phase shifter unit 1022 with a microstrip line structure on the first substrate 101, the second sub-segment 1031B of the first conductive layer 103 covers the first end 1022A of the phase shifter unit 1022 with a first metal layer 102, so that the area when the second sub-segment 1031B is electrically connected to the climbing of the phase shifter unit 1022 with a microstrip line structure can be increased, which is beneficial for more effectively enhancing the reliability of electrical connection.

It can be appreciated that the range of the edge of the second sub-segment 1031B beyond the edge of the first end 1022A overlapped with the edge of the second sub-segment 1031B in the embodiment may refer to the arrangement manner of the first sub-segment 1031A and the conductive pad 1021 in the above embodiment, which also has the effect of enhancing the reliability of electrical connection in the above embodiment, and the disclosure of this embodiment is omitted herein.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 14, 15 and 16 in combination, fig. 14 is another schematic plan view of the antenna according to the embodiment of the present invention, fig. 15 is a partially enlarged view of the first metal layer, the first insulating layer and the first conductive layer in the J3 area in fig. 14, fig. 16 is a schematic sectional view of the E-E' direction in fig. 14 (it is understood that, for clarity of illustrating the structure of the embodiment, fig. 14 and 15 are filled with transparency, the first insulating layer is not illustrated in fig. 14), in this embodiment, the first insulating layer 104 is included between the first metal layer 102 and the first conductive layer 103, and the first insulating layer 104 includes a plurality of first through holes 104K1 and a plurality of second through holes 104K2;

the orthographic projection of the first through hole 104K1 on the first substrate 101 is located in the orthographic projection range of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101, and the bias voltage line 1031 is electrically connected with the conductive pad 1021 through the first through hole 104K 1;

The second via hole 104K2 is located in the front projection of the first substrate 101 within the front projection range of the phase shifter unit 1022 on the first substrate 101, and the bias voltage line 1031 is electrically connected to the phase shifter unit 1022 through the second via hole 104K 2.

Optionally, the material of the first insulating layer 104 includes silicon nitride.

The present embodiment illustrates that the first metal layer 102 of the phase shifter unit 1022 used for manufacturing the conductive pad 1021 and the microstrip line structure may not be in direct contact with the bias voltage line 1031 of the transparent metal layer 103, for example, the first metal layer 102 and the first conductive layer 103 may include a first insulating layer 104 therebetween, alternatively, the material of the first insulating layer 104 may be silicon nitride, after the first metal layer 102 is manufactured, various patterned structures of the first metal layer 102, for example, the conductive pad 1021 and the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure are formed by an etching process, and then a layer of the first insulating layer 104 is manufactured to cover, and by the arrangement of the first insulating layer 104, the spike and the undulation area generated by the patterned structures of the first metal layer 102 in the etching process are eliminated, that is, the bias voltage line 1031 of the first conductive layer 103 manufactured subsequently is flattened by the first metal layer 102, and the slope is electrically connected with the conductive pad 1021 and the phase shifter unit 1022 structure by a climbing, so that the problem of the microstrip line can be avoided from the climbing and the climbing. And this embodiment further provides that the first insulating layer 104 includes a plurality of first through holes 104K1 and a plurality of second through holes 104K2, the first through holes 104K1 and the second through holes 104K2 all penetrate through the thickness of the first insulating layer 104, the orthographic projection of the first through holes 104K1 on the first substrate 101 is located in the orthographic projection range of the conductive pads 1021 on the first substrate 101, the bias voltage lines 1031 are electrically connected with the conductive pads 1021 through the first through holes 104K1, and after one end of the bias voltage lines 1031 overlaps with the conductive pads 1021 by climbing to the upper side of the first insulating layer 104, the material of the bias voltage lines 1031 can be in contact electrical connection with the conductive pads 1021 at the first through holes 104K1 through the first through holes 104K1, so as to achieve the electrical connection effect of one end of the bias voltage lines 1031 and the conductive pads 1021. Similarly, the second through hole 104K2 is located in the orthographic projection range of the phase shifter unit 1022 of the first substrate 101 within the orthographic projection range of the first substrate 101, the bias voltage line 1031 is electrically connected with the phase shifter unit 1022 through the second through hole 104K2, after the other end of the bias voltage line 1031 is overlapped with the partially segmented phase shifter unit 1022 by climbing to the upper side of the first insulating layer 104, the material of the bias voltage line 1031 can be in contact electrical connection with the phase shifter unit 1022 at the second through hole 104K2, and further the electrical connection effect of the other end of the bias voltage line 1031 and the phase shifter unit 1022 of the microstrip line structure is achieved, so that smoothness of the bias voltage line 1031 during climbing can be improved, disconnection can be avoided, and meanwhile reliability of electrical connection of the bias voltage line 1031 with the conductive pad 1021 and the phase shifter unit 1022 can be effectively guaranteed.

It can be appreciated that the material of the first insulating layer 104 in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, silicon nitride, and the material of the first insulating layer 104 may also include a composite material of an organic material and silicon nitride; alternatively, the material of the first insulating layer 104 may include an organic planarization material that is a composite material of an organic material and silicon oxide, or may be another stacked material that is formed of a plurality of materials and has a planarization function.

In this embodiment, the number and shape of the first through holes 104K1 and the second through holes 104K2 formed in the first insulating layer 104 are not particularly limited, and the shapes of the first through holes 104K1 and the second through holes 104K2 are illustrated as circles in the drawing, and in a specific implementation, the first through holes 104K1 may be formed only in a range where the bias voltage line 1031 overlaps the conductive pad 1021, and the second through holes 104K2 may be formed in a range where the bias voltage line 1031 overlaps the phase shifter unit 1022, so that a stable electrical connection effect may be achieved.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 17, fig. 18 and fig. 19 in combination, fig. 17 is a schematic plan view of another plane structure of the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present invention, fig. 18 is a partially enlarged view of the first metal layer, the second insulating layer and the first conductive layer in the region J4 in fig. 17, fig. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional structure in the direction F-F' in fig. 17 (it is understood that, for clarity of illustrating the structure of the present embodiment, fig. 17 and fig. 18 are filled with transparency), in this embodiment, a side of the first conductive layer 103 away from the first substrate 101 includes the second insulating layer 105, the second insulating layer 105 includes a plurality of hollowed-out portions 105K, and in a direction Z perpendicular to the plane in which the first substrate 101 is located, the hollowed-out portions 105K penetrate through the second insulating layer 105.

The present embodiment explains that the side of the first conductive layer 103 remote from the first substrate 101 may include the second insulating layer 105, and optionally, the material of the second insulating layer 105 may include silicon nitride, and the second insulating layer 105 functions to protect the first conductive layer 103 and the first metal layer 102. In this embodiment, the second insulating layer 105 includes a plurality of hollow portions 105K, and in the direction Z perpendicular to the plane where the first substrate 101 is located, the hollow portions 105K penetrate through the second insulating layer 105, and a portion of the first conductive layer 103 below the second insulating layer 105 is exposed through the hollow portions 105K, so that the first conductive layer 103 (such as the conductive pad 1021 of the bonding area BA) at the position of the subsequent hollow portion 105K is electrically connected with the driving chip or the flexible circuit board in a bonding manner. The first conductive layer 103 in this embodiment is in direct contact electrical connection with the first metal layer 102, which is advantageous in enhancing the electrical connection effect of the bias voltage line 1031 with the conductive pad 1021, and the bias voltage line 1031 with the phase shifter element 1922.

It can be appreciated that the materials for forming the second insulating layer 105 in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, silicon nitride, and the materials for forming the second insulating layer 105 may also include a composite material of an organic material and silicon nitride; alternatively, the material of the second insulating layer 105 may include an organic material such as a composite material of an organic material and silicon oxide, or may be another laminated material having a protective function and composed of a plurality of materials.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 17 to 19, the front projection of the hollowed-out portion 105K on the first substrate 101 is located in the front projection range of the conductive pad 1021 on the first substrate 101, and the second insulating layer 105 exposes a part of the bias voltage line 1031 through the hollowed-out portion 105K, that is, when the bias voltage line 1031 of the first conductive layer 103 covers the conductive pad 1021 overlapped with the hollowed-out portion, the front projection of the hollowed-out portion 105K on the first substrate 101 may be located in the front projection range of the conductive pad 1021, so that the hollowed-out portion 105K of the second insulating layer 105 exposes a part of the bias voltage line 1031 above the conductive pad 1021, which is convenient for the subsequent bonding of the driving chip or the flexible circuit board at the position of the hollowed-out portion 105K, so that the subsequent bonding of the driving chip or the flexible circuit board can be better electrically connected with the conductive pad 1021.

It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the shape and the size of the hollowed portion 105K are not limited, and in the drawing, the hollowed portion 105K and the conductive pad 1021 are both rectangular, and the size of the hollowed portion 105K may be set according to the size of the conductive pad 1021, for example, the hollowed portion 105K may be smaller than the conductive pad 1021, so as to expose a portion of the bias voltage line 1031 of the first conductive layer 103 at the position of the conductive pad 1021, which is convenient for subsequent binding.

In some alternative embodiments, please refer to fig. 20 and 21 in combination, fig. 20 is a schematic view of another plane structure of the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present invention, fig. 21 is a partially enlarged view of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer in the J5 area in fig. 20 (it is understood that, for clarity of illustrating the structure of the present embodiment, fig. 20 and 21 are filled with transparency), in this embodiment, at least part of the conductive pads 1021 include a first portion 1021A and a second portion 1021B, and the first portion 1021A and the second portion 1021B are arranged along the binding area BA pointing in the direction X of the shifter array area YA;

along the first direction Y, an outer diameter W2 of the second portion 1021B is greater than an outer diameter W1 of the first portion 1021A; wherein the first direction Y points perpendicular to the binding area BA in the direction X of the shifter array area YA.

This embodiment explains that at least a part of the plurality of conductive pads 1021 of the bonding area BA (e.g., a part of the plurality of conductive pads 1021 electrically connected to the bias voltage line 1031) includes a first portion 1021A and a second portion 1021B, and the first portion 1021A and the second portion 1021B may be understood as different segment areas of the same conductive pad 1021 arranged along the direction X in which the bonding area BA points to the phase shifter array area YA, and the first direction Y (the first direction Y is perpendicular to the direction X in which the bonding area BA points to the phase shifter array area YA, i.e., the first direction Y may be understood as an arrangement direction Y of the plurality of conductive pads 1021), and the outer diameter W2 of the second portion 1021B is larger than the outer diameter W1 of the first portion 1021A, so that the part of the bias voltage line 1031 overlapped with the first portion 1021 is also thickened by widening the thickened portion, thereby covering the conductive pad 1021 at the position of the thicker and wider second portion 1021B is further shaped, and the contact area of the bias voltage line 1031 is further enhanced by increasing the contact area of the bias voltage line 1031 with the conductive pad 1021B is further advantageous for electrically connecting the bias voltage line 1031.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 20 and 21, the two second portions 1021B of the two adjacent conductive pads 1021 are staggered from each other, that is, along the first direction Y, the two second portions 1021B of the two adjacent conductive pads 1021 are not at the same height as indicated by the dashed line M in the drawing, so that it is beneficial to avoid that the thickened and widened second portions 1021B are too close to affect the insulation effect between the adjacent conductive pads 1021, and avoid the mutual interference of the two adjacent conductive pads 1021.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 20 and 21, the second portion 1021B is located at an end of the conductive pad 1021 along a direction X in which the bonding area BA points to the shifter array area YA. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 22 and 23, fig. 22 is a schematic plan view of another plane structure of the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 23 is a partially enlarged view of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer in the J6 area in fig. 22 (it is understood that, for clarity of illustrating the structure of the embodiment, the transparent filling is performed in fig. 22 and 23), along the binding area BA, pointing in the direction X of the phase shifter array area YA, and the second portion 1021B is located at the middle of the conductive pad 1021. The present embodiment illustrates that the widened and thickened second portion 1021 may be provided at an end portion of the conductive pad 1021 in a region of one conductive pad 1021, as shown in fig. 21 where the conductive pad 1021 is near one end of the bias voltage line 1031, to enhance the electrical connection effect of the conductive pad 1021 and the bias voltage line 1031 by increasing the contact area. Or as shown in fig. 23, when one end of the bias voltage line 1031 completely covers the entire conductive pad 1021, the second portion 1021B may be disposed at the middle portion of the conductive pad 1021, and the electrical connection effect between the conductive pad 1021 and the bias voltage line 1031 may be enhanced by increasing the contact area, which is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 22, 23 and 24, fig. 24 is another enlarged partial view of the first metal layer and the first conductive layer in the region J6 in fig. 22 (it is understood that, for clarity of illustration of the structure of the present embodiment, the transparency filling is performed in fig. 24), and the shape of the orthographic projection of the second portion 1021 on the first substrate 101 includes at least one of an elongated shape, a circular shape and an elliptical shape. The shape of the second portion 1021B of the present embodiment can be flexibly selected according to design requirements. The problem that short circuit interference does not occur between adjacent conductive pads 1021 after the second portion 1021 is arranged is only required to be satisfied. In the drawings of the present embodiment, only the shape of the second portion 1021 in front projection of the first substrate 101 is illustrated, and other shapes may be selected in specific implementation, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the bias voltage line 1031 and the conductive pad 1021 may be enhanced.

According to the embodiment, the antenna provided by the invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail by way of example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An antenna, comprising: a first substrate including a phase shifter array region and a bonding region;

the first substrate comprises a first substrate, a first metal layer and a first conductive layer, wherein the first metal layer comprises at least one of copper, molybdenum and copper lamination, titanium and copper lamination, molybdenum copper alloy or titanium copper alloy, the first conductive layer comprises a high-resistance conductive material, and the first conductive layer is positioned on one side of the first metal layer away from the first substrate;

the first metal layer comprises a plurality of conductive pads and a plurality of phase shifter units, at least part of the conductive pads are positioned in the binding area, and the phase shifter units are positioned in the phase shifter array area;

the first conductive layer comprises a plurality of bias voltage lines, and the conductive pad is electrically connected with the phase shifter unit through at least one bias voltage line;

In the same one of the bias voltage lines, at least a part of the bias voltage lines partially overlap the phase shifter unit in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the first substrate is located, and at least a part of the bias voltage lines partially overlap the conductive pads.

2. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a second substrate, the first substrate disposed opposite the second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate including a liquid crystal layer therebetween;

the second substrate comprises a second substrate and a second metal layer, the second metal layer is located on one side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and the second metal layer comprises a grounding structure.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the antenna signal,

the first substrate and the second substrate are fixed through frame glue, the frame glue is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the frame glue is arranged around the liquid crystal layer;

the orthographic projection of the conductive pad on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the frame glue on the first substrate are not overlapped;

and the conductive bonding pad is positioned at one side of the frame glue away from the liquid crystal layer along the direction that the binding area points to the phase shifter array area.

4. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the antenna signal,

the orthographic projection of the conductive bonding pad on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the frame glue on the first substrate.

5. The antenna of claim 2, wherein an orthographic projection of the conductive pad on the first substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the liquid crystal layer on the first substrate.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the same one of the bias voltage lines comprises a first sub-section and a second sub-section, the first sub-section and the second sub-section being located at respective ends of the bias voltage line;

the first subsection covers the conductive pad in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the first substrate;

the orthographic projection area of the first subsection on the first substrate is larger than the orthographic projection area of the conductive pad on the first substrate.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein a minimum spacing of an edge of the first subsection to an edge of the conductive pad is 2-20um.

8. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the phase shifter element comprises a first end; in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate, the second subsection covers the first end portion, and the orthographic projection area of the second subsection on the first substrate is larger than that of the first end portion on the first substrate.

9. The antenna of claim 1, wherein a first insulating layer is included between the first metal layer and the first conductive layer, the first insulating layer including a plurality of first vias and a plurality of second vias;

the orthographic projection of the first through hole on the first substrate is positioned in the orthographic projection range of the conductive bonding pad on the first substrate, and the bias voltage line is electrically connected with the conductive bonding pad through the first through hole;

the orthographic projection of the second through hole on the first substrate is positioned in the orthographic projection range of the phase shifter unit on the first substrate, and the bias voltage line is electrically connected with the phase shifter unit through the second through hole.

10. The antenna of claim 9, wherein the material of the first insulating layer comprises silicon nitride.

11. The antenna of claim 9, wherein the material of the first insulating layer comprises a composite of an organic material and silicon nitride; alternatively, the material of the first insulating layer includes a composite material of an organic material and silicon oxide.

12. The antenna of claim 1, wherein a side of the first conductive layer away from the first substrate includes a second insulating layer, the second insulating layer includes a plurality of hollowed-out portions, and the hollowed-out portions penetrate through the second insulating layer in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the first substrate.

13. The antenna of claim 12, wherein the orthographic projection of the hollowed-out portion on the first substrate is within the orthographic projection range of the conductive pad on the first substrate, and the second insulating layer exposes a portion of the bias voltage line through the hollowed-out portion.

14. The antenna of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the conductive pads comprise a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion being aligned along a direction in which the bonding region points toward the phase shifter array region;

the outer diameter of the second portion is greater than the outer diameter of the first portion in a first direction; wherein the first direction is perpendicular to a direction in which the binding region points to the phase shifter array region.

15. The antenna of claim 14 wherein two of said second portions of adjacent two of said conductive pads are offset from one another.

16. The antenna of claim 14, wherein the second portion is located at an end of the conductive pad in a direction in which the bonding region points toward the phase shifter array region.

17. The antenna of claim 14, wherein the second portion is located at a middle portion of the conductive pad along a direction in which the bonding region points toward the phase shifter array region.

18. The antenna of claim 14, wherein the shape of the orthographic projection of the second portion on the first substrate comprises at least one of an elongated shape, a circular shape, and an elliptical shape.

19. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the material of the first conductive layer comprises any of indium tin oxide or metallic chromium.

20. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first metal layer has a thickness of 0.5um to 5um in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first substrate.

21. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the ground structure of the second metal layer includes a plurality of first radiation holes and a plurality of second radiation holes, the side of the second substrate away from the liquid crystal layer further includes a third metal layer, the third metal layer includes a plurality of radiation patches and a power division network structure, the orthographic projection of the radiation patches on the plane of the second substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first radiation holes on the plane of the second substrate, and the power division network structure includes a plurality of output ends, and the orthographic projection of the output ends on the plane of the second substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second radiation holes on the plane of the second substrate.